Arthur Ward / Lizzie Falk

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[172] Click here for photo of Chandler and Arthur Ward and Wm Giddings

[173] From the Obituary of Arthur Ward by Marie (Harris) Giddings:
The death of Arthur Ward Wesley township pioneer occurred
at his home in Algona on Tuesday morning at 2:30, following a
week's illness from complications developing from intestinal
flu. Deceased was 74 years of age. He was born at Ward's
Grove Illinois, in 1857, and came with his parents to Wesley
township at the age of 12. The family settled on the farm
now owned by L A Bolenus, in 1869. Before he had passed
his teens he purchased the 120 acre farm, which he yet
owned, now occupied by his son Walter, located just south of
Doan church. In 1877 he married to Miss Caroline Joslyn and
to this union four children were born. In 1893 he was
married to Miss Lizzie Falk who preceded him in deatdh 2
years ago. To this union six children were born. Ten
children survive him.
Arthur Ward was truly one of the builders of Wesley
township, and through the hardships of the early settlers he
struggled successfully, and was always considered an
honorable and upright man, proving this through his
everyday life as a man among men. In the year of 1917 he
gave up the hard work of the farm and moved the family to
Algona, where they have since made their home.
Funeral services will be held from the Wesley Methodist
church on Friday at 2:30 p.m. The funeral sermon will be
preached by the Rev H H White, a former pastor. Internment
will be made in Evergreen Cemetery in the family lot.
The following is quoted from B F Reed's "History of
Kossuth County" Vol II, p 534-5
Arthur Ward owns and cultivates an excellent farm of three
hundred and ten acres located in Wesley and Buffalo
Townships, and is numbered among the representative
agriculturists of his community. He was born in Jo Daviess
county, IL, on May 22, 1857, and is the son of Alsinus and Liza
(Dillon) Ward. The father was born in Vermont, but he
subsequently went to PA, and there he met and married the
mother, who was a native of Ireland, whence she emigrated to
the United States in girlhood. They resided in the Keystone
state until 1850, when they removed to Jo Daviess county,
IL., which was there home for nineteen years. In 1869 they
continued their journey westward to Kossuth county, making
the trip with a wagon and six yoke of oxen. They arrived
here on June 1, 1869, and the father filed on the north half
of the southwest quarter of Section 8, Wesley township, and
there resumed his agricultural pursuits. He built a slab
house with sod outside to insure warmth and a sod stable, on
which he subsequently placed a slough hay roof. Mr Ward cut
the hay for this purpose from his place with
a hand scythe, during the first year of his residence. As
his circumstances warranted he erected more comfortable and
modern buildings, continuing to devote his energies to the
further improvement and cultivation of his land until his
death in 1882. He was one of the enterprising and progressive
men of the pioneer period in Kossuth county, and took an
active and helpful interest in all things pertaining to the
development and welfare of his township. He was survived by
the mother who passed away in 1894, and was laid to rest in
the cemetery at Wesley, where the father is also buried.
Eleven children were born to Mr and Mrs Ward, our subject being
the youngest. In order of birth, the others are as follows:
William, deceased, Maria Ward, the wife of J H Ford, a
resident of Ottumwa, IA, Byron, deceased; two who died in
infancy, Liza, deceased, Chandler who resides in Wesley
township, Charlotte who is a resident of Idaho, Samuel,
deceased, and John, who is living in MN.

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